Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that Tom Brady doesn’t get “special treatment” while addressing the quarterback’s absence from the team’s final walkthrough to attend the wedding of Robert Kraft.
But it is getting special attention.
Brady missing Saturday’s final walkthrough is getting scrutiny in the aftermath of Tampa’s bad loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Bucs were 9.5-point favorites but lost 20-18.
Bowles was asked about the optics of Brady’s absence, given his extended sabbatical during training camp, among other excused absences and scheduled days off.
“He works as hard as anybody,” Bowles said. “Special treatment — there have been a few guys that have missed some meetings and some practices for some special things. It just doesn’t get publicized because they’re not him. It kind of comes with the territory. We don’t worry about it too much.”
Kraft got married Friday night in New York in a surprise wedding to Dr. Dana Blumberg. The pair invited 250 or so guests to an event but didn’t tell them about the nuptials, per reports. It was a star-studded affair that included Brady — but not New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Belichick said Monday he told Kraft it would be best to focus on the Patriots’ game against Cleveland on Sunday, a game the Patriots won.
Brady, meanwhile, skipped the team’s morning walkthrough and rejoined the team Saturday night in Pittsburgh.
Brady finished 25-for-40 with 243 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers. The loss dropped the Bucs to 3-3.
–Field Level Media